Ox cheek and kidney pie

Wow, I love steak and kidney pie, but have just made ox cheek and kidney pie. It's really amazing, so much nicer and so moreish.

You will need to cook the ox cheek and kidney very slowly in the oven for about 2.5 - 3 hours.

Ingredients
1 onion - sliced
2 ox cheeks (1lb roughly)
8 oz beef kidney (we do love kidney, so drop this if you prefer)
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 oz butter
3 oz plain flour
salt & pepper
1 glass red wine
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/4pt beef stock
couple of dashes of worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Puff pastry (ready rolled is a great timesaver)

Method

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 3 - 170C/325F.
2. Put the oil and 1oz of butter in a frying pan and saute the onions until they are golden.
3. Slice the ox cheek into 1 inch cubes. You will need a sharp knife due to the connective tissue, but don't worry, it helps give flavour and tenderises as it cooks.
4. Put the flour in a bowl or plastic bag, season with salt and pepper, then toss the ox cheek in the flour.
5. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and place in the bottom of a casserole dish.
6. Add some more butter to the pan and brown the pieces of meat. Make sure you don't add too many at a time as you want them to go slightly crusty. When browned remove with a slotted spoon and pop on top of the onions.
7. Cut the kidney into 1 inch cubes, remove any core as you go. Toss in the flour after you have finished browning the meat.
8. Add more butter if required. Brown the kidney in the pan. Remove with slotted spoon and add to the casserole.
9. Pour the wine into the frying pan and let the meat juices bubble off the bottom of the pan stirring constantly.
10. Add the tomato puree and stir. Add the stock and worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and pour over the casserole.
11. Add the bay leaves and stir everything together.
12. Cover with a lid or foil and pop in the oven.
13. After 1.5 hours, remove from oven and stir carefully. Return to oven until the ox cheek is tender.
14. When the casserole is cooked, remove from oven.
15. Turn up oven to gas mark 7, 220C/425F
16. Take pastry out of fridge, cut as many squares as you need for lids, lay on a baking tray, carefully using a sharp knife, score the top of the pastry sheets so that you make a diamond pattern. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
17. Serve large spoonfuls of the ox cheek and kidney, top with pastry lid and serve with boiled potatoes, the most wonderful fresh purple sprouting broccoli.